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Diesel spill discovered in Koliganek

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation flew a specialist to the village on Tuesday to assist with the cleanup of the estimated 1,000-gallon spill.

The spill was discovered Monday night next to a 20,000-gallon tank in the village of 182. Koliganek is 65 miles northeast of Dillingham on the Nushagak River.

Villagers transferred the remaining fuel to a newer tank nearby and used some absorbent pads to recover some of the spill until the DEC arrived with more supplies.

John Brown, a DEC environmental specialist, said the damage appears minimal. The fuel spilled over an earthen containment boom and downhill onto snow and ice. There was no pollution of wells and workers were containing the spill so it didn't reach a small creek farther downhill.

Brown said the affected tank is old but he didn't know when it was installed. It had about 9,000 gallons of fuel at the time of the leak.